The incident happened on board an ATA bus at Truman Road and Prospect Avenue at about 5:30 a.m.

Police said the woman got on the bus, started arguing with other passengers and doused them with gasoline. She then tried to light a match, but was stopped by the bus driver.

The passengers were taken off the bus and put on another bus. An ambulance was called to the scene to check the passengers but no injuries were reported.

"You never want to hear about a potential safety hazard on the buses," said ATA spokeswoman Cindy Baker. "We carry a lot of people, so we are always alarmed when something like this is reported."

"We were just so relieved that there were no injuries and the person who had the gas was arrested," said B.J Garcia of Kansas City ATA.

He credited the bus driver's quick response for helping to ensure no one was hurt.

"She absolutely did what she was supposed to. First and foremost is to take her safety and the safety of passengers into consideration," he said. "As soon as it became apparent that there was a harmful substance on the bus, she pulled the bus over immediately -- and I can't even say she pulled over -- she stopped immediately and opened the doors and had everyone exit the bus."

Baker said passengers should be assured that this not the type of thing that usually happens.

"Any kind of incident that occurs, passenger against passenger is rare, and probably a dozen a year that get reported," she said. "I doubt that any of them had the potential for this type of risk."

The woman was taken into police custody. Police have not released her name or said why she had gasoline on the bus in the first place.

"It's pretty unfathomable, frankly, that anyone is walking around with gas in their purse. I don't know if it's the craziest thing, but it certainly is one of the most dangerous," Baker said.